Xylanases (e.g., endo-1,4-beta-xylanase, EC 3.2.1.8) hydrolyze internal β-1,4-xylosidic linkages in xylan to produce smaller molecular weight xylose and xylo-oligomers. Xylans are polysaccharides formed from 1,4-β-glycoside-linked D-xylopyranoses. Xylanases are of considerable commercial value, being used in the food industry, for baking and fruit and vegetable processing, breakdown of agricultural waste, in the manufacture of animal feed and in pulp and paper production. Xylanases are formed by fungi and bacteria.
Arabinoxylanase are major non-starch polysaccharides of cereals representing 2.5-7.1% w/w depending on variety and growth conditions. The physicochemical properties of this polysaccharide are such that it gives rise to viscous solutions or even gels under oxidative conditions. In addition, arabinoxylans have high water-binding capacity and may have a role in protein foam stability. All of these characteristics present problems for several industries including brewing, baking, animal nutrition and paper manufacturing. In brewing applications, the presence of xylan results in wort filterability and haze formation issues. In baking applications (especially for cookies and crackers), these arabinoxylans create sticky doughs that are difficult to machine and reduce biscuit size. In addition, this carbohydrate is implicated in rapid rehydration of the baked product resulting in loss of crispiness and reduced shelf-life. For monogastric animal feed applications with cereal diets, arabinoxylan is a major contributing factor to viscosity of gut contents and thereby adversely affects the digestibility of the feed and animal growth rate. For ruminant animals, these polysaccharides represent substantial components of fiber intake and more complete digestion of arabinoxylans would facilitate higher feed conversion efficiencies.
Xylanases are currently used as additives (dough conditioners) in dough processing for the hydrolysis of water soluble arabinoxylan. In baking applications (especially for cookies and crackers), arabinoxylan creates sticky doughs that are difficult to machine and reduce biscuit size. In addition, this carbohydrate is implicated in rapid rehydration of the baked product resulting in loss of crispiness and reduced shelf-life.
The enhancement of xylan digestion in animal feed may improve the availability and digestibility of valuable carbohydrate and protein feed nutrients. For monogastric animal feed applications with cereal diets, arabinoxylan is a major contributing factor to viscosity of gut contents and thereby adversely affects the digestibility of the feed and animal growth rate. For ruminant animals, these polysaccharides represent substantial components of fiber intake and more complete digestion would facilitate higher feed conversion efficiencies. It is desirable for animal feed xylanases to be active in the animal stomach. This requires a feed enzyme to have high activity at 37° C. and at low pH for monogastrics (pH 2-4) and near neutral pH for ruminants (pH 6.5-7). The enzyme should also possess resistance to animal gut xylanases and stability at the higher temperatures involved in feed pelleting. As such, there is a need in the art for xylanase feed additives for monogastric feed with high specific activity, activity at 35-40° C. and pH 2-4, half life greater than 30 minutes in SGF and a half-life >5 minutes at 85° C. in formulated state. For ruminant feed, there is a need for xylanase feed additives that have a high specific activity, activity at 35-40° C. and pH 6.5-7.0, half life greater than 30 minutes in SRF and stability as a concentrated dry powder.
Xylanases are also used in a number of other applications. For example, xylanases are used in improving the quality and quantity of milk protein production in lactating cows (see, for example, Kung, L., et al., J. Dairy Science, 2000 Jan 83:115-122), increasing the amount of soluble saccharides in the stomach and small intestine of pigs (see, for example, van der Meulen, J. et al, Arch. Tieremahr, 2001 54:101-115), improving late egg production efficiency and egg yields in hens (see, for example, Jaroni, D., et al, Poult. Sci., 1999 June 78:841-847). Additionally, xylanases have been shown to be useful in biobleaching and treatment of chemical pulps (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,249), biobleaching and treatment of wood or paper pulps (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,179,021, 5,116,746, 5,407,827, 5,405,769, 5,395,765, 5,369,024, 5,457,045, 5,434,071, 5,498,534, 5,591,304, 5,645,686, 5,725,732, 5,759,840, 5,834,301, 5,871,730 and 6,057,438) in reducing lignin in wood and modifying wood (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,486,468 and 5,770,012) as flour, dough and bread improvers (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,108,765 and 5,306,633) as feed additives and/or supplements, as set forth above (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,432,074, 5,429,828, 5,612,055, 5,720,971, 5,981,233, 5,948,667, 6,099,844, 6,132,727 and 6,132,716), in manufacturing cellulose solutions (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,211). Detergent compositions having xylanase activity are used for fruit, vegetables and/or mud and clay compounds (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,316).
Xylanases are also useful in a method of use and composition of a carbohydrase and/or a xylanase for the manufacture of an agent for the treatments and/or prophylaxis of coccidiosis. The manufactured agent can be in the form of a cereal-based animal feed. (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,678) Additional uses for xylanases include use in the production of water soluble dietary fiber (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,738), in improving the filterability, separation and production of starch (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,960,705 and 5,023,176), in the beverage industry in improving filterability of wort or beer (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,517), in an enzyme composition for promoting the secretion of milk of livestock and improving the quality of the milk (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,354), in reducing viscosity of plant material (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,274), in increasing viscosity or gel strength of food products such as jam, marmalade, jelly, juice, paste, soup, salsa, etc. (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,981). Xylanases may also be used in hydrolysis of hemicellulose for which it is selective, particularly in the presence of cellulose. Additionally, the cellulase rich retentate is suitable for the hydrolysis of cellulose (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,544).
Various uses of xylanases include the production of ethanol (see, for example, PCT Application Nos. WO0043496 and WO8100857), in transformation of a microbe that produces ethanol (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO99/46362), in production of oenological tannins and enzymatic composition (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO0164830), in stimulating the natural defenses of plants (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO0130161), in production of sugars from hemicellulose substrates (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO9203541), in the cleaning of fruit, vegetables, mud or clay containing soils (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO9613568), in cleaning beer filtration membranes (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO9623579), in a method of killing or inhibiting microbial cells (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO9732480) and in determining the characteristics of process waters from wood pulp bleaching by using the ratios of two UV absorption measurements and comparing the spectra (see, for example, PCT Application No. WO9840721).
With regard to xylanases used in the paper and pulp industry, xylanases have been isolated from many sources. In particular, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,083,733 and 6,140,095 and 6,346,407. In particular, it is noted that U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,095 addresses alkali-tolerant xylanases. However, it is noted that there remains a need in the art for xylanases to be used in the paper and pulp industry where the enzyme is active in the temperature range of 65° C. to 75° C. and at a pH of approximately 10. Additionally, an enzyme of the invention useful in the paper and pulp industry would decrease the need for bleaching chemicals, such as chlorine dioxide.
The publications discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.